I just wanted to let everyone in the community know how lucky we are to have businesses in our town. I would like to share a short story with you. I work in Overland Park. I got off work at 4 p.m. and found a nail sticking out of my tire. The tire had air in it, but I knew I could not make it home. I took my car to a business near my office, where I asked if they could “plug” my tire. I was informed, they do not “plug” tires but they could patch it. They knew that I need to have it and I was in a pinch. I was told it would be 30 minutes or so. About 45 minutes later, they took the car in, and soon I was called in the work area. They advised me they could not “patch” the tire and wanted to know if I wanted to buy a new one. I advised them no. Pull that one and put my spare from the trunk on.

After being overcharged to change the tire, I came home to Tonganoxie, and took my tire to Forshee’s. They had just closed and Bobby was out of town on vacation. However, a gentleman by the name of Jeff was filling in for him. Jeff opened the door and we explained our problem. He agreed to handle our problem. He and another employee Mr. Bundy were able to repair the tire. I explained I didn’t have my car with me but I could come by when I got off work the next day. No problem. I paid for my tire. I ask him what they would charge me to put it back on. Nothing.

I took my car in and they did just that. Forshee tire charged me half what the Overland Park business wanted to repair my tire. It’s nice to know that you can always come home and be able to trust our businesses, and the people within our community.

Karen Seymour,
Tonganoxie.

Comments on life appreciated

To the editor:

We always look forward to Lisa Scheller’s profiles on local people, but we especially enjoy her articles about life. Last week’s was one of the best assessments on what life hands a person and what they make of it. We all know people who have something traumatic happen in their lives, and they never allow themselves to get over it and move on. Keep the great comments coming, Lisa.

Tom and Jean Murry,
Leavenworth.

Sending the wrong message

To the editor:

Too bad the television program “Hee-Haw” is off the air, because our school board would sure make the cornfield. With the new policy, all parents with seniors should demand the following:

We buy all seniors trophies like we do the 5-year-olds, saying “We Try Hard.”
We buy more band uniforms so all seniors can march and have their pictures taken with the band even if they can’t play an instrument.
We enlarge the gym, add more benches, buy additional uniforms, so all seniors can sit on the benches and wave at their parents.
All seniors get Eagle Scout Award, even if they’re not in Scouting.
All seniors go with the debate team, even if we have to buy more buses.
All board members who vote for the “No Cut Policy,” get basketball uniforms, so they can sit on the bench and wave at their spouses and holler, “Honey I Made the Team.”

What a sick society we’ve became, when the board sends a message that any seniors who haven’t made a varsity team are failures and are scarred for life.

We are shocked when a student commits plagiarism, taking credit for another’s work.

Seniors who get a varsity basketball uniform, just because they’re seniors are doing the same thing. These seniors are taking credit for the accomplishments of the 12 varsity players, who through their hard work and effort made the team and the success it produced. Thumbs up to all THS students who make a varsity team. Thumbs down to a school board that wants to cheapen those accomplishments.

The board leads us to believe that this new policy is common in our league; they also led us to believe that the coaches are for it. They know both these assumption are false.

All students have the same equal opportunity to make varsity program. I hope seniors and their parents have enough dignity and respect for competitive sports, that this problem becomes moot. In trying to micromanage our coaches, they forgot an important fact. The uniform doesn’t make an athlete the athlete makes the uniform.

H. Jim Walker Sr.,
Tonganoxie.